


Where's The Off Button?!

by Remianly



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Canon Era, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Funny, Happy Ending, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Magic Revealed, No Sex, No Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 18:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15540525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remianly/pseuds/Remianly
Summary: Arthur is having a very difficult time trying to control Merlin's magic."Please don't accidentally turn anyone else into a toad before we sort this out?" Merlin pleads."Fine," Arthur huffs, watching his idiot for a servant rush to Gaius for a solution





	Where's The Off Button?!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [All my Kudos people!](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=All+my+Kudos+people%21).



> Thanks everyone for all the Kudos!! I know, I know, I've been posting less. In my defense, I've been trying to post this work for weeks but my beta-readers are slow. I'll be getting busier once school starts, so don't expect much. Anyhow, enjoy!

Arthur crossed his arms, frowning, and pointedly looked down at his gaping manservant. "Well? Are you going to explain why I'm floating or are you just going to stand there like an _idiot_. Oh no, wait. You _are_ an idiot, aren't you, _Merlin_."

Merlin blinked twice before actually registering his floating prince's question. "I- Uh- Explain. Yes, I can do that. Um-" he stuttered, completely distracted.

" _Merlin,_ " Arthur grounded out through his teeth. "Get me down. _Now_."

"Right! Um." He ran to one of Arthur's draws and pulled out a rope. "Here, catch!" Merlin tossed one end feebly to the floating prince and proceeded to pull him down. "So you're floating..." Merlin mentioned carefully once the prince was grounded.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, frowning at his servant. "Yes, Merlin, thank you for noticing, and I have no doubt in my mind that this is somehow related to _you_."

"Perhaps it was the evil sorceress from the day before!" Merlin quickly suggested.

Arthur recalled when the sorceress pulled something blue and glowing from his manservant's unconscious body; he didn't think twice before darting for a tug of war with the strange substance. However, when the prince touched it, he somehow absorbed the matter, whatever it was, and promptly passed out.

"Merlin, you'd better have a _wonderful_ explanation for this," Arthur demanded when he saw his manservant's shifty face.

Merlin froze. "You see-" he began, biting his lip, prepared to spill whatever outrageous lie he had crafted. Then he sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. "Alright Arthur, let's get comfortable," he resigned. Arthur waited while Merlin took deep breaths from where he sat.

After several moments of hand fidgeting, Merlin finally spoke. "So there was this dragon..."

* * *

 "You mean to say that you were born with magic meant to protect me for this great destiny we share that the dragon told you about, and the blue thing that I absorbed the day before was your magic materialized?" Arthur reaffirmed after Merlin finished his testament.

"Yes," Merlin confirmed, then scratched his head. "Though I haven't ever tried making myself float..."

"Merlin..." Arthur said, threateningly.

"...Yes sire...?" Merlin replied in a soft squeak.

* * *

 By the time Arthur figured out how to turn toad-Merlin back to human, it was already long past sundown.

"Please don't accidentally turn anyone else into a toad before we sort this out?" Merlin pleads.

"Fine," Arthur huffs, watching his idiot for a servant rush to Gaius for a solution

* * *

 When Arthur finally figured out how to _unfloat_ himself, the morning sun brought a blindingly evil light to his chambers.

"What _happen_?!" Merlin called after closing and bolting Arthur's chamber doors. He tried to step over the piles of scattered clothes and fallen furniture. It looked like Arthur had conjured up a whirlwind in his chambers. The scary part was probably the fact that it wasn't too far from the truth.

"Your _magic_ ," Arthur snapped, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "kept me up _all_ night."

"Oh." Merlin began picking up after Arthur's mess. "Gaius and I still haven't found a cure for this."

Arthur groaned, tired of life. He sunk even further into his bed, thankful for gravity, and rubbed circles in his eye bags.

"It might've been helpful if you're father hadn't executed the sorceress on the spot," Merlin added. "We could've asked her nicely to undo it."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know the dangers of associating with sorcerers or sorceresses." He stopped abruptly remembering that Merlin was indeed one of _them_.

Merlin snorted, then looked down darkly. "Right well, you can have your father chop my head off or something _after_ we fix this mess," he carried on, picking up fallen clothes from the floor and tossing them into the empty wardrobe.

" _Mer_ lin!" Arthur bellowed, causing the man to flinch. "I'm not going to have you _executed_!"

Merlin froze then turned around to meet the prince's eyes. He stared at him wide-eyed with disbelief. "You're not?" he repeated in a hushed, hopeful voice as if he _genuinely_ thought Arthur would send him to the block _that_ quickly. Understandable, since he _was_ the prince of Camelot, but that didn't stop Arthur from feeling extremely offended.

"No," Arthur sighed. "How can you even think that?" he muttered and failed at containing the sulk from his voice.

"It's just-" Merlin paused carefully, "-natural, for a warlock to feel insecure in Camelot. _Especially_ after seeing a sorceress being chopped down where she stood just yesterday.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, sighing through his nose. "Don't call yourself a warlock, Merlin. Makes you sound all powerful."

He smirked, "I am all powerful, Arthur. The greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth."

"If that's the case, figure this mess out already! Don't you have any magical friends who know something?" He gestured vaguely.

Merlin thought for a moment before practically lighting up. "Brilliant, Arthur!!" The prince blinked. And was swiftly dragged away.

* * *

 After several corridors and flights of stairs, they entered a giant cave-like place. Arthur stumbled back when a dragon flew down from above very dramatically and landed gracefully. And the prince wondered how he had lived in the castle his whole life and never known about the GIANT CAVE THAT HELD A GIANT DRAGON UNDER THE CASTLE WHEN MERLIN FOUND OUT ABOUT IT ON HIS FIRST DAY IN CAMELOT.

"Young warlock, young prince," the dragon dipped his head into a dragon bow. "I see you're in quite a predicament."

"Yes." Merlin answered. And Arthur never knew Merlin to beat around the bush. "How do we fix this?"

The dragon chuckled at the warlock's straightforwardness. "Find the spell which channels magical energy..."

Merlin's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "A...lot of spells do that..."

"Yes. Very perceptive..." The dragon shifted into a more comfortable position. "There is a spell which does in large amounts…” He paused, for what Arthur didn’t have a clue. Dramatic effect perhaps? “You must first unite, then Arthur must send your magic to where you are bonded, and you, young warlock, must reach out and accept it."

"Hold it. What do you mean by ‘unite’?" Arthur interjected.

"Join hands."

Arthur frowned. "So just hold hands? Can't you just say that?"

Merlin tugged on his arm. "Arthur, shush! He already leads me around in circles as is with just a simple question! We'll be down here for _hours_ if you keep asking him stuff," he hissed.

"I can hear you," the dragon informed, but promptly continued. "There is more..."

"Go on..." Merlin urged.

"If Arthur doesn't send out every ounce of your magic out, the spell will cancel and your magic will simply regenerate in Arthur once more. Uproot a parasite completely or it will thrive."

Merlin nodded. "Noted. Anything else?"

"You must make haste, young warlock. Your magic does not belong in Arthur, it's constantly clawing its way to get out. If you don't revert this fast enough, the prince may die."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Die?!"

"Right, thanks!" And Merlin hurried Arthur away.

* * *

 "He said I'd die!" Arthur exclaimed.

Merlin hummed, flipping through his magical spell book. "The usual."

Arthur groaned into his bed sheets. "If the answer was that simple, why didn't you go to him in the first place?"

Merlin shrugged. "He's useless half the time I have to save you from something, so I forgot about him..." He flipped another page. "Ah ha!"

Arthur leaned in to see and cocked his head to the side. "This is the spell? It's three syllables!"

"Well, all spells channel magic energy out. I guess if your just sending it out without a purpose, there isn't much complexity about it. _Res HeFfOn._ "

Arthur rolled his eyes, "We have to hold hands first, and I believe I have to say it?"

"Right." Merlin shifted towards Arthur and splayed his palm forwards. "Should ... we try both hands?"

Arthur rolled his eyes again. "Don't make it feel so awkward! Here." Arthur interlaced both of their hands forcefully.

Merlin blushed. "It only gets awkward when we talk about it, so let’s not talk about it!" Then there was a long pause of silence in which Arthur could hear nothing but their breathing and the feel of Merlin's heart beating through their fingers.

"I think it just got more awkward," Arthur whispered.

Sighing, Merlin banged his head against the bedpost. "Just get on with it."

"Res hef fon." Nothing happened. Arthur frowned. "Hey-"

"You don't say it like that! Put more effort into the pronouncing it like this: _Res Heffon._ "

"You sound like an idiot."

"It's magic! If all spells were pronounced _normally_ , people would be casting spells all over the streets."

"Alright, alright. Reshef _on_."

Merlin failed to stifle his chuckle. "Now, _you_ sound like an idiot."

Arthur glared at him, but couldn’t hold back a grin. "I'm just copying you!"

Merlin snorted. "Well, you suck at it."

"Shut up, _Mer_ lin!" When he didn't come back with a biting response, "Merlin?" The magickless warlock opened his mouth but no sounds came out. "Oh great." It was then, Arthur contemplated his life and purpose in the world.

They both jumped when Leon bursted in through Arthur's doors. He stopped short at the sight of Arthur and Merlin holding hands in Arthur's bed.

The prince stared at his knight, eyes wide. "This... isn't what it looks, Leon." He subtly nudged the magic book behind him.

"My... deepest apologies, my lord," he bowed deeply and began backing away.

"No, honestly, Merlin, explain to Leon what we’re doing." Holding hands passionately in bed.

But all Merlin did was silently mouth words as if speechless, when he was quite literally speechless.

Arthur groaned. "What did you want, Leon?"

"It's just- The knights and I were wondering why you didn't show up... for morning practice." He glanced around, distracted by the display of Arthur's disastrous state of a room. Which to him, looked more like two very hasty-to-get-in-bed people fumbling with each other, knocking chairs over and tearing clothes off each other and- Leon's mind stopped itself.

"Oh that's right! Sorry, Leon. Tell them I'm not well, _bedridden_ even." Leon blushed, but Arthur continued, oblivious, "Actually, cancel _everything_ I have planned today. I didn't get much _sleep_ because of this idiot. If my father asks, tell him I'm unwell."

Leon bowed deeply, trying to hide his scarlet shaded face. "Of course sire, if you'll excuse me," he retreated in one breath, and the door slammed shut.

Arthur turned his attention from the door to his silently upset manservant. Merlin waved hysterical hand gestures which Arthur didn't understand at all. He huffed an inaudible sigh and grabbed a quill and parchment. He scribbled something very aggressively and shoved it in the prince's face.

_"_ **_BEDRIDDEN_ ** _" "_ **_CANCEL EVERYTHING I HAVE PLANNED TODAY_ ** _" "_ **_DIDN'T GET MUCH SLEEP BECAUSE OF THIS IDIOT_ ** _"_

Arthur formed an o with his mouth, "Leon!!!" and promptly chased the knight down before any rumors could circulate.

* * *

 Arthur panted after what seemed like the thousand time he said the words. He'd said it so much he didn't know it was possible to make it sound anymore foreign in his mouth.

Merlin just silently sat there, head propped on his hand.

"Say something!" Arthur demanded. To which Merlin did a motion Arthur recognized as "I can't".

Arthur restrained himself from banging his head against the bed post for fear that he would get a concussion. "I _know_!" Arthur ran a sweaty hand through his hair. "I silenced you by saying 'shut up' so I figured I could _unsilence_ you by saying 'say something'."

Merlin wrote something else down on the same parchment he’d been using to communicate.

_Maybe we should take a break._

Arthur sighed softly. "Great idea. I've said the spell so much I can't feel my tongue anymore. Get us some lunch will you?"

When Merlin came back with twice the amount of food he normally handled to Arthur's chambers, he, unsurprisingly, tripped on the edge of a rug. Arthur launched up with his hands splayed out by reflex, and, suddenly, all the food froze in mid-air.

"Huh, this is pretty useful," he mumbled to himself as Merlin stood staring wide-eyed. Which really should've been Arthur's reaction, but he had plenty of time acquainting himself with levitating things the previous night.

Merlin poked at the food still in air and wrote something down.

_Are we going to eat it like this or are you going to magic them back?_

Arthur played with the idea of eating food like that but decided against it. He waved his hand while imagining the food rewinding its spillage. He watched in awe as the food neatly returned to it's positions.

"Magic doesn't _feel_ evil," Arthur observed in between bites of his pork. He wasn't looking to make conversation, as Merlin is literally incapable of such, but he _was_ hoping for a reaction of some sort.

Instead, Merlin rolled his eyes and continued eating.

Arthur fought against the disappointment growing in his stomach and kept eating as well until he couldn't take it anymore. "Write something!"

So Merlin did.

_Ignorant._

Arthur frowned. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?! I'm not wrong! Magic corrupts people!"

_You just think they're all corrupted and evil just because they try to kill people._

Arthur almost laughed at that. "Merlin... I believe my thought process is agreed by a lot of people." But his manservant frowned at the amusement in his voice.

_Firstly, just because a lot of people agree with something, doesn't mean it's right._

Arthur thought, and agreed, but that still didn't justify his claim.

_Secondly, your Father executes a lot of people, innocent people. Kids, farmers, people who use magic to do simple things like_ unspill _food. And he hunts them down like animals. Yet nobody calls_ him _corrupted or evil._

Arthur thought about it, and it did make sense. And he held back on calling Merlin out for writing treason. But he still couldn’t see magic as a good thing after all the life threatening situations he’d seen with it.

_And thirdly, they all try to kill your royal family because you made them your enemies first!_

Arthur stared, dumbfounded at his manservant. "I never thought of it that way..." For the rest of the meal, Arthur had an unexpectedly large life reflection that was interrupted once Merlin began collecting the trays. As his manservant began closing the door, Arthur called out to him. "Merlin!" Het paused and took a glance back. "I'm sorry... and thank you."

Merlin smiled and left.

* * *

 The magic kept reaching for Arthur, gripping and grasping his consciousness. Wanting to invade, to take control. Wanting freedom. Arthur couldn't contain it, it made him tremble with power.

When Merlin returned to Arthur's chambers, he found his prince, curled on the ground shaking as if in a seizure. He slammed the door shut and dropped down beside his prince. Mouthing words that neither of them could hear. He shook the prince roughly hoping to slap him back into his senses.

Arthur’s hands formed white fists around Merlin’s arms. "Merlin... Help..!" he gasped. "It wants... to escape!"

Merlin darted for the book on the bed and flipped to the right page. He shoved it in Arthur's face, urgently pointing at the words. The prince clutched onto his servant and whispered the words in incoherent syllables. Merlin gripped Arthur's shoulders and shook him harder. He peered into his princes bloodshot, glowing eyes; Arthur’s eyes fell on something past Merlin, unfocused.

He was holding back his magic when it wanted to escape. If he doesn’t release it, there would be some serious internal damages. Merlin closed the thick spell book, and swung it against the princes head, knocking him out.

With the prince, limp against Merlin, the magic began seeping out, shattering glass, knocking chairs, lifting tables, changing colors of fabric, glowing orbs floated in the air. Merlin tugged Arthur's unconscious body into a close embrace, whispering soundlessly, "Come to me".

One by one, the objects in the room began returning to normal. The magic retreated and surged into Merlin's body instead, knocking the air out of him. But Merlin didn't back away. Instead, he pulled the prince in tighter, and let the magic pour in. It had been a while since Merlin felt so full of magical energy.

* * *

 Arthur blinked blearily up at his unconscious manservant, whose arms were wrapped loosely around him. "Merlin...?"

Merlin jerked in response to the sound of his name. Forcing his eyelids to stay open, he peered at his prince, unfocused. His mouth moved silently into a shape of "Arthur" as his eyelids heavily fell, and Merlin tipped over sprawling on the ground. Arthur grunted and shifted to a more comfortable position. No matter how much he shifted, nothing was comfortable; then he realized his entire body hurt. Like he had just wrestled a bear and was aching with bruises all over.

He groaned but continued shifting, until he and Merlin were laying on the ground, facing each other. Arthur vaguely recalled what had happened before he passed out. The last thing he remembered was saying the blasted words to that horrendous uncooperative spell.

Arthur reached for Merlin's hand and laced their fingers together. Despite aching in every place imaginable, he was strangely comfortable on the rug.

He half heartedly nudged Merlin's hand. "Merlin... Get up... We still have to fix this... Merlin..." And Arthur delved into a string of mumbles.

Merlin began stirring and half cracked open an eyelid. The prince waited for the pair brilliant blue eyes to meet his.

"..." Merin groaned silently. The prince frowned. He felt like he heard his manservant’s voice for days. He squeezed his eyes shut and formed one single thought. He reached that thought, stirred it. Focused. He let his desires build up the thought and let go. Arthur opened his glowing eyes. "Merlin, let me hear your voice." He felt a surge of energy rushed to his fingertips and through their interlaced fingers.

Merlin blinked awake with glowing eyes. "Arthur-" he said, eyes fading.

Arthur didn't let him finished, only launch on top of his wonderful, amazing servant without another thought and held him close. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've missed your endless chatter," he whispered into Merlin's neckerchief. He felt their chests rising and falling in a slow steady rhythm, and exhaled in sync. Arthur felt sleep tug at the edge of his mind, almost falling asleep on his servant mostly out of exhaustion. He felt a hand come up a rest on his back. Merlin stroked slowly along the curve.

"Arthur..." Arthur rose to meet merlin's eyes, not fully expecting worry lines creased on his forehead. Merlin sighed softly. "You almost died." And he brought another arm and pulled arthur closer. "I almost lost you..."

Arthurs heart began racing. He snaked an arm under Merlin's nape and another fit cozily under Merlin's lower back, sinking into the embrace.

"Merlin..." he sighed.

"YOU ALMOST KILLED YOURSELF! ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR SOMETHING? THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON YOU AND MOST IMPORTANTLY _MYSELF_ , IF YOU DIE I'LL HAVE LOST MY REASON TO _LIVE_. I WAS BORN FOR YOU AND I WILL DIE FOR YOU."

Arthur winced at the sudden outburst and nearly shoved himself off of Merlin. "I couldn't help it. Your magic was doing- _something_..."

"You held the magic back! If I wasn't there to knock you out and release it, I would've _really_ lost you!" His voice cracked, and Arthur nearly lost it.

"Merlin..." He didn't know what it was but something in Merlin's eyes caused Arthur to lean in. Like he was enchanting the prince and before he knew it, they were a breath away from a kiss. Arthur jerk backwards and mumbled an, "I'm sorry".

Merlin didn't seem to register what just happened and continued rambling about whatever it was that he was still going on about. He sighed, probably realizing Arthur was no longer listening. "When I was young, my mum always told me to hold it back. But when I'd gone too long without releasing it, I'd always fall ill. Mum said my magic was different, like it was a parasite on me." Merlin took Arthur's hand. "I realized it’s a parasite called destiny." He smiled.

"Do you regret it?" Having magic. Arthur imagined, if anyone had a choice, they wouldn’t want to be stuck with a great destiny.

Merlin shook his head. "No."

Arthur felt his heart unclench in relief. He took a breath. "Has everything we've been through only been for the sake of our destiny?" Arthur asked, leaving a silent 'or are there somethings that were real'.

Merlin's eyes softened at the question. "I think at first." Arthur felt his heart clench again. "But now I like to think we do what we want."

Vines of flowers suddenly emerged from the walls of Arthur’s chambers. Merlin’s eyes widened at the display and looked back at the blushing prince.

The prince, face flushed, looked away. "Doesn’t your magic have an off button or something?" he mumbled.

Merlin blinked at him. Then his eyes softened and he touched Arthur’s arm. "It’s hard controlling your magic,” Merlin said and Arthur looked at him, "It just puts your feelings on display. Especially around the person you’re besotted with. It’s a good thing you never noticed." Before he could begin rambling, Arthur hooked his arm around Merlin’s neck and brought him in closer, realizing what his servant was implying.

Arthur felt for his one truest desire, felt it grow, intensify, and reached for it. When he opened his glowing eyes, he whispered " _Res Heffon_ " The magic surged out and into Merlin. He pulled his servant closer, chanting the words over and over, until Merlin pulled a breath away and crashed their lips together. Suddenly, it was like a dam of magic broke and everything poured through their fingers entwining, tongues dancing an erotic dance, bodies pressing close together.

The world turned black when he felt the last drop of magic leave his body.

* * *

Arthur woke, tucked in his bed. He sat up, panicked, eyes darting around the tidied room. No mess, no Merlin. Like it had all been a dream. But when Arthur felt a shift beside him, he looked down and saw Merlin, curled against Arthur's arm, fast asleep. Arthur smiled to himself in relief and dove back into the covers, interlacing their fingers and tangling their limbs together.  


* * *

 Afterwards,

Roughly a week after the ‘incident’, Arthur and Merlin established a not-so-secret relationship. They were lucky if half the castle didn’t know what they were doing behind closed doors.

Arthur hummed happily to himself, feeling like the luckiest man in the kingdom, strolling through the castle corridors. He caught a glimpse of his lover from afar; his eyes had a strange habit of searching for the man every moment of the day. Merlin was talking happily to his _friend,_ Lancelot. Practically _beaming_ with happiness, in fact, and Arthur fought down an unpleasant feeling building in his chest. There was a sudden explosion and Arthur jumped, turning to find a vase shattered as if by magic right next to him. He watched, standing still, eyes wide with shock, as water dripped down the edge of the table onto the broken pieces of glass scattered on the ground.

“MERLIN!”

**Author's Note:**

> A kudos/comment would make my day! And maybe speed up the process of my next fanfic.


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